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I thought of you today, birth mother

I thought of you today, birth mother. I watched him graduate from preschool. You would have been so proud. His name was called and he was handed his first diploma of sorts. The years have swept away from the three of us since the last visit we had together. Four years ago tomorrow, your child became forever mine. You did not choose to give him to me. He was taken from you. I know in the rhythm of my heart that you never imagined not raising your son.

I owe you nothing; and yet, I owe you everything.

Our lives are woven together by poor choices, heartache, legalities and love. Just like the energy that is poured out of a quilt maker’s hands into the quilt, our lives are sewn and patched by the hardship of the years. Surely, God knew when He created this precious child in your womb that you would labor to bring him into this world, and I would labor bringing him up in it.

I see you in him. birth mother. He smiles your smile. His left eye is just a little lazy like yours. Your love of family poured into him. He is rarely at a loss of words…just like you. I wonder if you long for him when you watch children play. I wonder if you feel haunted by this child you will never raise. The loss you have suffered must be felt from every cell in your body. The hollowness you feel at times must resonate deep down. Sure, we send pictures to you, but pictures don’t breathe. Pictures don’t smell. They don’t bleed, hug, speak, cry, or do any of those things that remind us of our humanity.

I owe you nothing; and yet, I owe you everything.

I too have felt that sorrowful ache. I have cried thick tears. I have longed for a child. Barrenness created a stale world for me; a hollowness that never ceased. I felt haunted by a child I would never have. What at one time seemed pointless, lifeless, and void of purpose has been replaced by immeasurable significance.

The selfishness I feel from time to time benefiting from your great and terrible sadness overwhelms me. To be honest, all of it overwhelms me. God’s blessing of your child has given me more than the mommy experience. It has refreshed the staleness, filled the hollowness, and brought to life the child I thought I would never have.

I owe you nothing; and yet, I owe you everything.

I thought of you today, birth mother. Truthfully, I think of you nearly every day. Perhaps, the world might expect me to not care for you so much. I wonder, “Is it really possible to separate you from the goodness and richness of this child?” I don’t think so. There is goodness in you, although others may not see it. You are a part of him and he is a part of you.

I delight in his quirks. I fret in his worries. I am challenged by his willful spirit; yet, I love him with every pore of my being. I hear him say “I love you, Mommy” and it stirs my soul. I know you would feel the same way.

The hug I gave him was for you today, birth mother. I imagined your arms wrapped around him….how good that would feel for you to touch him.

I thought of you today, birth mother. I said a prayer for you today, birth mother. Your son is mine, and my son is yours.

I owe you nothing; and yet, I will not forget that I owe you everything.

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About Me

Hello, friend! My name is Caroline. I'm a wife and mother of three children. In 1983, at the age of eleven, I became gravely ill and ended up needing an emergency hysterectomy. I am blessed by the adoption of my children and have great peace with my "lot in life".
I am deeply passionate about encouraging others struggling with infertility and about advocacy for foster care (two of our kids were adopted out of foster care). I no longer consider myself barren. I consider myself fruitful, joyful, whole and blessed.
Photo Credit: Randy Bacon, Photographer www.7billionones.org